Volume One: Border Flames Chapter Eighty-Nine: Offense as Defense

Linghu Xiao could see the hesitation in Du Guqiu Bai and felt his heart ease by more than half. He then said in a ringing voice, “If the young master of Linghu does not believe it, this old man is willing to swear upon this snowy beard of mine. If my words are false, I shall die by blade or sword before long.”

The people of the Xianbei honored a promise as though it were worth a fortune, and for an elder to swear by his beard was a most solemn matter indeed. Du Guqiu Bai could hardly help believing him.

He let out a long breath, slowly withdrew his sword, then pressed his fingers along Tuoba Yan’s back and shoulders in a rapid series of taps. As soon as the sealed points were released, Tuoba Yan regained movement in her hands and feet at once.

In the past, He Yu had only read of the art of striking and releasing pressure points in books; he had never witnessed it with his own eyes. Now that he had seen it for himself, he found it truly marvelous. For Du Guqiu Bai to have mastered such a skill at such a young age only proved how extraordinary his talent was, and how diligently he had trained.

After releasing Tuoba Yan, Du Guqiu Bai stepped back and bowed. “Your Highness the Princess, I offended you just now.”

Tuoba Yan looked at him calmly and said, “The innocent are not to be blamed. Young Master Du Gu had his reasons.”

She had been held hostage a moment ago, her life hanging by a thread, yet she recovered her composure in no time at all. Her mettle was plainly excellent, worthy of her rank as a princess.

Du Guqiu Bai returned his sword to its scabbard, cupped his hands, and turned to leave. The armored guards all around immediately drew their blades and blocked his way. His face darkened with anger, and he was about to unleash a reprimand when Tuoba Yan spoke. “Young Master Du Gu is a friend, not an enemy. Withdraw at once.”

At her command, the soldiers sheathed their weapons and made way.

Du Guqiu Bai slipped his sword back into its scabbard and strode out proudly. Passing by He Yu, he suddenly stopped, turned, and bowed slightly. “Your swordplay is sublime. May I ask your name?”

“Oh, Young Master Du Gu,” Cui Liang said, taking over at once, “allow me to introduce him. This is He Yu, the young master and chief of Lianyun Stronghold.”

Du Guqiu Bai was greatly startled. “Could he be the He Yu who fought a bloody battle at Xiemaling, shattered Tianxiong Fortress by night, and is gifted in both civil and martial arts, a peerless genius beyond comparison?”

His four phrases summed up all of He Yu’s exploits since crossing over into this world. In particular, the final two descriptions—gifted in both civil and martial arts, a peerless genius—had only recently been coined by Cui Liang, yet within a few days Du Guqiu Bai already knew them. This showed just how formidable the information network of the great and powerful Cui clan of Qinghe truly was. He Yu felt a surge of relief. Making friends with Cui Liang had indeed been the right move.

He Yu returned the salute with a smile. “I am indeed the person.”

Du Guqiu Bai’s expression shifted uneasily. After a brief hesitation, as though summoning all his courage, he said, “Chief He’s swordsmanship is divine. I, Qiu Bai, admire you deeply, and so I presumptuously wish to exchange a few strokes with you.”

He was obsessed with martial arts. Though he knew that it was somewhat unreasonable to meet for the first time and immediately ask for a clash of blades, he could not suppress his passion and voiced the request anyway.

After a day of slaughter, He Yu was already exhausted. He truly had no energy to spar with Du Guqiu Bai. Yet with Du Guqiu Bai’s arrogant temperament, a flat refusal might well be more than he could bear.

Tuoba Yan now relied heavily on He Yu, and seeing that Du Guqiu Bai’s martial skill was formidable, she did not wish to take any chance. A single mishap would be too much. She therefore said, “Young Master Du Gu, Chief He has fought all day and is already fatigued. If you wish to compare swords, choose another time. This palace will preside over it personally. Would that not be better?”

Her word was law. Since she had said so, Du Guqiu Bai found it hard to press the matter and could only leave in ill humor. The two strange birds saw their master depart and, flapping their massive claws, followed after him.

Seeing the birds, He Yu’s mind suddenly stirred, and an idea took shape.

“Ah, Young Master Du Gu, please wait,” he said. “Your Highness was right just now. I am indeed rather weary today, but since the young master is interested, let us simply stop at a few exchanges. A brief contest of swords will do.”

Du Guqiu Bai’s eyes lit up. He halted, his face breaking into a smile, and he drew his sword in a flash. He Yu smiled inwardly. Sure enough, Du Guqiu Bai was a true martial fanatic; at the mere mention of swordplay, nothing pleased him more.

He Yu drew his own sword. They each exchanged a courteous invitation, then struck together.

The Nine Swords of the King of Qin were swift and vicious, their angles of attack astonishingly unpredictable.

He Yu intended to win over Du Guqiu Bai for his own use, so from the outset he went all out. This strike appeared to be a straightforward thrust through the center, ordinary enough, yet the point of his sword trembled, ready to alter direction at any instant. Should Du Guqiu Bai dodge or yield, he would inevitably expose a flaw, and He Yu would seize the opening.

When the crowd saw He Yu’s sword, they had expected something wondrous, but it proved plain and unadorned, with many apparent openings. Only its speed was astonishing, leaving no time for reaction. It was a style of pure offense, with no thought for defense. Because all strength had been poured into one point, the blade could move so fast.

Everyone was thinking from the same perspective, considering how they themselves might evade the strike, when before they had found any answer, Du Guqiu Bai did not dodge or retreat either. He launched a sword of his own, its direction exactly mirroring He Yu’s, except that the tip flashed toward He Yu’s forearm with the same swift and merciless force.

He Yu had not expected Du Guqiu Bai to use offense as defense as well. His blade was longer than He Yu’s, and the thrust was aimed at He Yu’s forearm; if He Yu did not change his move, he would be offering up his arm directly.

“Excellent swordplay!” He Yu praised, faintly sensing that Du Guqiu Bai’s sword techniques shared hidden affinities with his own Nine Swords of the King of Qin. He let his arm sink, then lifted the point of the Giant Que sword, tracing an arc that swept directly toward Du Guqiu Bai’s neck.

A cry erupted.

The crowd gasped in unison. No one had imagined that He Yu would wield his long sword like a war saber, swinging it with all his might. In doing so, he not only broke Du Guqiu Bai’s offensive, but the speed of his own blade did not lessen in the slightest; indeed, it became even faster, and the angle even more vicious.

Du Guqiu Bai’s skill fell short of He Yu’s. It was already remarkable that he could withstand half a move; this second half was impossible to evade no matter what. He could only stare helplessly as He Yu laid the Giant Que sword upon his shoulder.

He Yu withdrew the blade and smiled. “You concede.”

Du Guqiu Bai stood motionless, as though he were still lost in the sword exchange and had not yet come to himself. He was a martial fanatic; in these past years he had traveled among famous mountains and great rivers, meeting many experts who offered guidance, and his swordsmanship had long been no weak thing. In recent years he had met no match at all. Yet after meeting He Yu, he was defeated in a single move.

This suddenly gave him a sense of frustration, as though all the effort he had poured into the years past had been in vain. He seemed not to hear He Yu’s words at all. Without saying a thing, he departed with the two strange birds, drifting away like mist. The others remained behind, whispering among themselves, none of them understanding what had become of him.

Cui Liang stroked his beard and laughed. “Niece and nephew Yu, this Du Guqiu Bai is quite the proud one, though his swordsmanship is not weak. The strike you just used against him—well, if it had been anyone else, I fear they would not have been able to block even half a move.”

Cui Liang was thoroughly versed in swordsmanship himself and was a master fencer to boot, so he immediately saw the key to the matter. Cui Hao, however, was less clear on it. Frowning, he asked, “Uncle Fourth, there is something I do not understand and would like to ask. From my view, Brother Yu’s sword technique just now seemed all attack and no defense. It was certainly fast, but there were many openings. If the enemy neutralized the assault and counterattacked at once, would Brother Yu not be put at a disadvantage?”

Cui Liang blinked and, full of deliberate mystery, said, “Attack is defense, and defense is also attack. If you attack where the enemy must surely rescue, then why must you defend at all?”

Cui Hao’s eyes brightened as understanding dawned. “Oh, I see. Though the openings in Brother Yu’s sword technique were obvious, the enemy was too busy dealing with his offense to have any chance to mount a counterattack, so those openings no longer counted as openings.”

Though still a youth, he grasped things instantly once hinted at. After his explanation, everyone else also understood at once. So this, then, was another principle within the martial way of swordsmanship. Thinking it through, it was indeed highly reasonable.

He Yu said nothing, only smiled, but inwardly he thought, Du Guqiu Bai has extraordinary talent, yet his nature is proud and impatient. After this lesson of mine, he should now be in a state of discouragement and self-doubt. But once he gets through this phase, his insight into swordsmanship will rise another level and reach a higher plane.

The uproar lasted until deep into the night, but with Linghu Xiao’s arrival, everything dissipated like smoke. Everyone returned to their quarters to rest.

The next morning, He Yu was assigned duty for the city patrol. He and Qing Yun rode side by side up onto the battlements and circled the city once on horseback. All was normal.

The damaged walls from the previous day’s battle were being reinforced and repaired as quickly as possible, and the wounded were being carried off in an orderly fashion for treatment.

The city defenders had already witnessed He Yu’s martial skill and strategy, and from the bottom of their hearts they admired him. Wherever He Yu appeared, the soldiers welcomed him warmly, clustering around the pair like stars around the moon.

The fortress retainers brought by the various clan leaders aside, even the Northern Wei soldiers, who had originally looked down somewhat on the Han of the Central Plains, now revered He Yu as though he were divine. Before overwhelming strength, all dissent became nothing but drifting clouds.

Qing Yun reveled in the respect shown to her and her husband by the soldiers, and she was overjoyed. In truth, from last night until now, her mood had been one of excitement. In particular, having shot Murong Lin with a poison arrow had filled her with a sense of relief, as though a great vengeance had at last been paid. Qing Yun was forthright by nature, and when she was happy, the joy showed openly on her face, highly infectious. In He Yu’s heart, Qing Yun’s smiling face and Deng’er’s coquettish protest were the loveliest sights of all.

He Yu rested a hand on the city wall and gazed into the distance. Murong Lin had attacked the city twice and suffered ruinous losses both times, and his morale could no longer rise. The endless rows of Later Yan tents, after the fierce battle of the previous night, had been toppled and burned in many places. Some still gave off wisps of smoke, yet no one could be seen repairing them.

At this rate, He Yu, Cui Liang, Tuoba Yan, and the others did not even need to judge the situation; even a common soldier could tell that Murong Lin no longer had the strength to launch another assault. The Yan army’s grain and fodder had originally been enough for only a little more than twenty days, and after these two savage engagements, nearly half of the supplies had been consumed and wasted. In a few days at most, they would have to withdraw. At present, Pingcheng could be said to be safe enough to rest easy.

Murong Lin was routed like a collapsing mountain. After narrowly escaping from He Yu and returning to his command tent, he summoned a physician for treatment. The crossbow bolt had struck dead center beneath the nose, knocking out two front teeth and leaving a bloody hole.